New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-12
THE DREADED BACK DRAFT
A MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENON AT FIRES.
HOW FIREMAN DEvANNY WAS THROWN DOWN A
sEvENTY.FIvE-FooT SHAFT BY ONE-HIs Es-


sEvENTY-FIvE-FooT SHAFT BY oNE-HIs Es-
CAPE.
Fireman James Dcvanny, Of Engine No. 7, came
down to the engine-house in william-st. recently
for the first time in fortnight after fall OF seventy
i've feet down shaft at q fire. He Is ROBUST
young fellow OF twenty five years stands nearly SIX
feet in height in his stockings and has tho reputation
in his company Of being OF the bravest and best
fremen in the city. He has been In the department.
three years. His face was rale and his steps wero
weak when he reached the engine-house. One Of the
fremcn set out chair on the sidewalk in the warm
sunlight, and Deyanny sank into ii and wiped the
cold Precipitation from his forehead. Tho frcmen
gathered around him, and half dozen little street.
boys who were playing "Bufalo Bill" left the rope
around tho street hydtant where they bad assoed n
and rushed up close to get look at "Jimmy" Dc
vanny, who had been reported killed by tho fall at
tho fire In the big building In Canalst
GLOW do you feel now, Jimmy 2" asked one Of the
Grcmen, after Devanny had taken glass Of water.
"weak q sick cat but not so sickish as did.
Guess won't go ON duty for a day or two yet How's
shoerl Was he badly scorchedP
"His face Is bllstered and his hair is burned" re-
piled OF the fremon. "He took little sip OF
tho back draft which scorched his throat but didn't
60 down far. He'll 60 duty Saturday"
slows Murphy, OF No. n" asked Devanny.
"Hes all right. He only fell down two lights Of
stairs. 1t made him limp for a day or two, but 1t
didn't lay him OF. That's as lucky fro as ever
SEEM Jimmy. We all thought you was dead when
they carried you of In tho. ambulance. We heard
you died before you reached the hospital and We all
expected to mourning and SEQ you planted"
The fire at which Devanny and tho two other fro
men injured broke out at night on the upper
floor Of a large sevcn-story furniture house. Two
lines OF hose had been carried up circular stairway
in the rear OF tho building who're the fromen fought
the flames on the floor ON Which the hre started Tor
.I, I'm t.nu war ria h1 Ia
heat. one line Of hose which Devanny held was car
ried directly up the stairway shaft, while the other
the Cor at the top of the landing directed tho stream
where the flames were thicAest. and Fireman Murphy
the oher line. Chief Shay was tho floor below,
and had directed them 90 hold out a. long as they
ting stronger he finally told them to down.
at was getting awful hot up on that floor" said
think ii was time to get. Murphy thought we were
getting hold on the fire. because it seemed to be
ink in the loft, though when first got up there with
tho hose the flames were blazing like big furnace
and to M ne e n %ds got TO So
out. 1t was Just then saw the fire light up little
curtin around like a funnel and knew the back
down All. but FAD ., no sm' Before knew it /
I'VE were outside and heard you strike the bottom"
said one Of the me roof hSS The whole building
GLOW did it feel falling down there. Jimmy :"
Feel Why thought I was never going to stop
1t was Just Ike one feels IN dream. | heard Muir,
ply say Oh Lord hung s6S On scented to S oD be roas
and going In the dark | tried TO think Of my pray
ers but somehow l coullnt remember them; and
then all went OUT and | didn't know anything till
walked up in the hospital Then l felt as IL some
body had been beating mo all over with big club
] went down. and that was what bruised me so and
broke my fan perhaps va, the hose o sSo s t6s
seven floors into tho cellar it would have broken all
my bones-lcft me dead duck"
There was railing around the SHAFT; how CID
you get over thatl" asacd reporter.
1T was the back draft as carried him over"
said gray haired old fireman. ITEMS the worst ;.
things in fire and kills many fireman. The only
way when they Ia to lay down and hold on to
If YOU stick to il you can fight the arc with the
water and feel your way out with tho hose before
Without RH te hose You've GOT to cover up your face
and hcep your mouth shut when you see tho back
remember jack wilson Who swallowed back draft
and when they made S n qoa the ali se
way down Sholer. who was on the stairway below
Dovanny got touch of Il: that's What lad him up"
over tho railing ,"
"Jast 50. Maybe you don't know what back
draft Ia" continued the old fireman. II have seen
where tho water IS playing On hot Are you'll ZEE
my theory is that It's the gases and the hot air and
tho steam and when 1t gets TO certain pitch all
when you lift of the top Of hase-burner stove, only
they amt no smell OF ga about baca DRAFT that
OF your feet like a feather. Some fTemen say they
can tell when it's coming in time TO get out but !
around in roll. Then you want to fall on your
face and cling to your hose because rs right onto onto
dr T NV MT the roof right OF a building"
Fireman Dcvanny expects to BE- fully restored L, ana
iures is lasting but the remea res1 ho his enSaPs
the remarkable in the records OF the Department